Take Notice

We took a family day trip to The African Lion Safari last Sunday so my monkey could see the monkeys and to partake in “Canada’s Original Safari Adventure.”

 

Our expedition reaped the rewards of catching more than a glimpse of creatures you don’t typically see in the parks of Ontario, Canada.  Although they did work in a tour feature on the “duck“?  Perhaps all lions, giraffes and elephants all day would be too overwhelming?

 

While touring around I noticed the most unusual natural plant life in the park.  One wild flower in particular stood out in my mind as so pretty and altered from the usual Dandelions, Queen Ann’s Lace and Buttercups you expect to see growing in the wild.  I was anxious to figure out what it was.

The next day, I’m driving home from work on the same stretch of road that I drive on every day, 5 days a week, at precisely 5:35pm.  What do I spy with my little eye in the border of green and wild flowers?  My African Lion Safari wild flower?!

Why do I take notice of this unusual beauty while out on a pleasant day trip with my family but could care less about the wretched weed on my drive home from work?  Could it be the more happy and relaxed a mood we are in, the keener we are to seek out beauty in what surrounds us?

Turns out the flower is a Milkweed and the lifeblood of the monarch butterfly.  Without this wildflower, Monarchs wouldn’t be able to complete their life cycle and would soon become extinct.  Thanks wildflowersofontario.ca for this info. and the picture above.  You put me out of my, "what is this intriguing mystery flower" misery.

I’m sure we notice a lot more of the fun and wonder our kids have to offer us on a pleasant weekend rather than a harried week day evening.  Imagine the travesty of lost opportunity if I had been too busy to notice when my 3 year old stepped on the scale in the washroom and shouted, “come see how old I am!”

A friend sent me a link to the blog Hands Free Momma which is an inspiring take on “letting go to grasp what really matters.”  It is a touching and relatable read on how to unplug from increasing time demands in order to live in the moment with our kids.

Now here’s a quick and easy baby food recipe that won’t take you long to prepare. Then you can quickly get back to making funny faces back and forth at each other.

Ready…Set…Evolve…

Coddle Me Carrot & Rutabaga Puree

Age – 6 months +

Ingredients

• 6 carrots (about 2 cups chopped)
• ½ of a rutabaga (about 1 ½ cups chopped)
• 1 tbsp. of butter

Baby Steps

• Peel and chop carrots and set aside
• Peel and chop rutabaga and set aside
• Add chopped carrots and rutabaga to a steamer set over boiling water, cover and cook for approximately 23 minutes or until veggies are very tender.
• Remove from heat and transfer veggies to a food processor, blender or bowl to use a hand blender to puree.
• Add the butter and some of the cooking water to the veggies 1 tbsp. at a time and puree to desired consistency.  The thinner the consistency desired the more water you will want to add.
• Let cool for a few minutes then transfer to freezing trays to be used within 3 months, or to a food storage container in the fridge to be used within 48 hours.

Makes Approx. 12 servings (1 serving = 2 tbsp.)

Let’s keep our eyes peeled for beautiful things even when we’re in a sour mood.  Today it could be Milkweed discovered; tomorrow could be a revelation…or a smile from your little one.